Officials warn of tainted fish in 2 NC lakes

North Carolina officials are warning people to limit how much fish they eat from Lake Norman and Mountain Island Lake because of contaminant levels.

After finding mercury and PCBs, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday recommended that people should not eat more than two meals a month of large-mouth bass and one meal a week of striped bass from Lake Norman.

The department also recommends that people not eat any channel catfish from Mountain Island Lake. The department also recommended that pregnant women and young children shouldn't eat largemouth bass or blue catfish from the lake, and everyone else should eat those fish sparingly.

Officials say they don't know what's causing the high levels but note that the contamination doesn't make the water itself unsafe.